What Plagues My Mind
by lizabeyy
Summary: Tristan has always been there for Ryou Bakura. He wouldn't have dare to deny the love that he had obsessed over for a year... It was just that cursed spirit. One sided Protectshipping, Tendershipping. One-shot.


Tristan Taylor was someone who would simply follow the crowd, and not show too much of his attention.

He was a follower, not a leader, not that he was proud of it.

He didn't always understand his friends, and sometimes he had even felt anger towards them, but he never dared to doubt their friendship.

As they ate their lunch together, like they did every day, Tristan wasn't feeling so talkative.

Something had been plaguing his mind for a year now.

* * *

><p>He looked around to each person at the table.<p>

Joey, who had been Tristan's friend since before they group even became friends, was sitting beside him, talking loud so that everyone in the school could hear him.

Across Tristan was Tea, who had an argument for everything Joey said.

Beside her was Yugi, who giggled as his two friends bickered.

Yugi was the one who got the group together.

If it weren't for him, Tristan, with Joey as his partner, would have still been terrorizing the school.

Everyone loved Yugi.

Yugi and the Pharaoh, both.

The two of them had played the hero on so many occasions…

Not to mention that, together, they were the King of Games.

Yugi never lost a game…

Yet he was always shy and meek.

Being proud was always the Pharaoh's job.

And that's why everyone loved Yugi.

* * *

><p>Though there was one person who admired Yugi more than Tristan…<p>

At the end of the table, a boy with long white hair quietly ate his lunch, giggling to himself as he listened to the conversation.

Every so often he spoke fondly to the ring, attached to a rope that he wore around his neck.

Most students were convinced that the boy had gone crazy, but Tristan knew better.

Tristan knew so much better.

* * *

><p>Even though Ryou Bakura had gone through so much in his life, he was one of the kindest people that Tristan had ever known.<p>

Only Ryou would give even the most evil of beings as many chances as they desired.

He would be well aware of the consequences, but that wouldn't matter to him.

No one understood Ryou.

How could anyone?

He wasn't the most open person.

Ryou was a very quiet boy.

If a complete stranger were to speak to him, he would reply and say nothing else.

So it wasn't easy to start a conversation with him.

However, there were some people who Ryou just loved seeing.

Ryou was quiet, but he cared deeply for his friends.

* * *

><p>There were two people.<p>

Two people who just made his life worth every second.

Yugi was one of those people.

Because Yugi was the reason why Ryou could call himself a part of the group.

Whenever Ryou felt at his worst, Yugi was always there for him.

Tristan was always there for him, too, but as said before, he was a follower.

The second person…

As much as Tristan couldn't stand to think, the second person was none other than the Spirit of the Ring.

The spirit who had caused Ryou so much pain over the years was probably the most important person in the boy's life.

It made sense, though.

After all, the spirit had been with Ryou…

Probably before Tristan even met him.

Not that that made him feel any better.

Tristan sighed.

Something had been plaguing his mind for a year now.

That something was Ryou.

* * *

><p>He got his lunch together and got up from his seat.<p>

"Where are ya going?" Joey blinked.

Tristan scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm just going to go sit by Ryou."

"Who's Ryou?"

There were times when Tristan wanted to hit Joey as hard as possible, preferably with a chair.

"Bakura, Joey. Ryou Bakura."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

"No, you didn't." Tristan muttered as he walked to the end of the table, pulling his lunch back out and sitting down.

Ryou tilted his head to the side and set the ring down. "Oh… Good afternoon, Tristan."

Tristan nodded, "Yeah. What class do you have next?"

"Nothing special, just math." The white haired host giggled, "…I should be glad Father wasn't around to hear that. He always did take education of all forms seriously."

Tristan smiled, "Has your dad sent you any letters recently?"

"Mmm, I'm afraid not." Ryou struck a thoughtful pose, "Actually I haven't heard from him in over a year."

"Over… A year?"

Ryou didn't reply, and took another bite of his lunch.

Tristan spun his fork around on the table, "…He's the last of your living relatives, right?"

"No," Ryou shook his head, "I still have a Grandmother in Britain. Though she cut off all contact with us after Mother disappeared."

"Oh…" Tristan took a moment, trying to come up with something else to say, "Well, what about the relatives that aren't so alive?"

Ryou's face lit up, "Sister's doing alright. I think she's starting to like the afterlife."

Tristan could only nod.

Only Ryou was really comfortable when it came to talking about the dead.

In fact, nothing got him talking more than the occult.

The occult was something that he absolutely loved.

Ryou happily pulled out a small bag of cream puffs, plopping one into his mouth. "I'll have to thank Yami later."

Tristan scowled, "What for?"

The host blinked, "What do you mean?"

"What does_ he_ need to be thanked for?"

"Oh…" Ryou became silent. "N-No reason, I suppose."

Tristan's eyes widened as the boy got his things together and got up.

"Pardon, but I have to be going now."

"Wait!" Tristan reached out, grabbing the boy's hand.

Ryou jumped with a frightened squeak at the sudden gesture.

"Where are you going?" Tristan couldn't even imagine how demanding his voice sounded.

"I-I…" Ryou stuttered, "I… I-I'm…"

Tristan blinked.

What had Ryou so scared?

He looked even more pale than usual.

Maybe the spirit had said something…

That cursed spirit…

Tristan gritted his teeth, but remembered that he was still holding onto the boy's hand and let go.

"Th-The library." Ryou finally managed to say, "It's almost the end of the semester… I thought I'd return m-my books."

And with that, he ran off out of the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>Tristan had always admired the way that Ryou's hair flew so freely as he ran.<p>

One wouldn't believe that a horrible spirit was terrorizing the boy.

Tristan had always been there for Ryou.

He had always protected him from the spirit.

At Duelist Kingdom when the spirit had used Ryou's body in order to get to get to Mokuba Kaiba, Tristan had saved them both by knocking the spirit out and throwing the ring away into for forest.

Though it was unknown to him how the ring found its way back to Ryou.

There was no way that Ryou could have gone looking for it after…

Why would he have wanted back something that had been hurting him for so long?

"Where are ya going now?" Joey groaned, as Tristan got up again.

"Ryou just reminded me." Tristan finished getting his things together, "I should probably go return my school books, too."

Tea rolled her eyes, "You know, you shouldn't stalk people. Especially Bakura of all people."

"Stalk? I'm not stalking anyone!"

"Keep thinking that."

Tristan muttered to himself before leaving for the library.

As Joey and Tea shrugged it off, Yugi watched him leave with a worried face.

* * *

><p>The spirit was always hurting Ryou.<p>

It made Tristan so angry…

When the spirit had trapped them all in the game of Monster World, he had even gone as far as to impale Ryou's hand on a tower.

At Battle City, the spirit left Ryou's body just before being attacked by the Pharaoh's god monster.

Probably just using him as a shield.

Though Tristan had wondered why the spirit returned to the body when the monster did attack…

Did he not mean to put Ryou in danger?

…Who was he kidding?

The spirit didn't care about Ryou.

Tristan did, though.

He cared so much.

Ryou was all he could think about for the past year…

It was about time that he acted on it.

* * *

><p>Ryou was sitting down at one of the library table, talking to the ring.<p>

He looked frightened…

Just what was that conversation about?

Tristan put his books on the counter and made his way over to the table.

"O-Oh…" Ryou looked back over at the counter, "You came to return your books t-too?"

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

Ryou laughed nervously and glanced back down to the ring, looking worried. "You're welcome, I suppose."

Tristan could just feel himself blushing. "Hey, Ryou… There's kinda something I wanna talk to you about."

"Hm?" The boy looked at the ring again, as if he was listening to two conversations at once, "Wh-What is it, Tristan?"

Tristan smiled, as he pulled the host from his seat and over to an area where there weren't any people. "We'll go over there."

* * *

><p>Behind the bookcase of Ryou's favorite section, horror, Tristan finally stopped and let go of the boy.<p>

Ryou looked around, now a bit curious, "…What were you wanting to tell me, Tristan?"

"I just… Want you to know something."

The host shifted on the spot, nervously, "A-Alright…"

"You're nervous, too?" Tristan couldn't help but to laugh.

Ryou chuckled quietly as well, "Yes, I suppose… Though I think for a different reason."

"Well, what reason's that?"

"I-It doesn't matter."

"Right. Well." Tristan let his eyes wander around the room, not quite sure what to do next, "I guess… I should just say it."

Ryou slowly nodded, though his yami was telling him to leave as soon as possible, or to, better yet, just kill Tristan.

Tristan took a deep breath…

"Ryou…"

Closed his eyes…

And said it.

"I love you."

_There_, Tristan thought.

Now Ryou finally knew.

He was feeling pretty proud of himself until he opened his eyes.

Ryou stared at him, looking as if he'd seen a ghost for the first time.

"Ryou…?"

The boy slowly shook his head as he backed away, giving the ring a stroke. "T-Tristan… I… I-I can't… I don't… "

The ring.

"Oh… I get it." Tristan's voice was filled with disappointment.

"Y-You do…?"

"Yeah. It's that spirit. Isn't it?"

Ryou gulped.

"Right… That spirit won't let you love anyone."

The host blinked.

"That's it."

"N-No, that's not…"

Ryou gasped when Tristan grabbed his hand again, "But it doesn't have to be that way! You can't listen to him."

"Tristan, you have it all wron-"

Maybe Tristan wasn't in the best of senses when he pulled the host closer and kissed him.

He didn't care, though.

For all he knew, this was the best thing he had ever done.

If the spirit had a problem with it, then whatever.

However the best moment of his life was short-lived when he was pushed back.

Tristan fell to the ground, hitting his head painfully on the side of the bookcase.

Just who had pushed him?

He looked up, expecting to see the spirit in his love's body…

But, instead, saw Ryou, looking down on his with frightened eyes.

"R-Ryou…?"

"I'm sorry, excuse me." And then Ryou ran away as fast as he could, not daring to look back and hold the ring as close to his chest as possible.

* * *

><p>Tristan had always been there for Ryou.<p>

Tristan had always been the one to carry Ryou when he fell.

Tristan was the only person in their group of friends who even knew Ryou existed.

Tristan was the one who loved Ryou, and was, of course, loved back.

However, that cursed spirit was what separated them…

It was the spirit who was making sure that Ryou could never love.

Probably just to keep him miserable.

Oh, but what could he do?

Tristan sighed, and finally blacked out.


End file.
